Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

Oops, meant to add it depends where you are. For example you wont find everything closed in Rome, but you may in a smaller village in the countryside. And its not like everything in the village will be closed, but some might.

Its unlikely that seaside towns/villages will close as thats their high season...so it depends where you are going I think.

Look: the fact is that Italians generally vacation in their own country. Why? Because they're in Italy. Do you blame them?

So you will not encounter ghost towns with the Italian equivalent of tumbleweeds. Resorts areas on the Italian Riviera will be populated, the major cities are all open for business, and it's not universal because the Italian shopkeepers know that American and Canadian tourists like to visit in July and August. You'll be able to find a lot of small shops and restos open, just not all of them.

All the major supermarkets and larger grocery stores will be open. The same thing goes for pharmacies. All major department stores will be open too. In fact, with the current state of economic affairs in Italy right now, my guess is that a lot of stores, big and small, will be operating throughout the year.

The only thing you will have to worry about in July is the heat! All the stores you could possibly need will be open. Are you visiting Rome? If so, I can offer a link to supermarkets/pharmacies and grocery stores across the city to help you out. Have a great time.

Thanks everyone! We know it'll be hot and crowded but with two highschoolers it's the best time to travel for us. Just glad most things will be open. We're planning 3 nights in Venice 3 in Rome and 4 in Postitano and can't wait. Any restaurant suggestions?

I woud also suggest that in many areas, pretty much everything shuts up from lunch until at least mid afternoon, so you should not plan to do a lot of shopping at those times. Sunday is pretty much dead for shopping, even in supermarkets, as well. But many small shops and boutiques are open into early evening, well after they might close in the US.